Wire stretcher and splicer



June 30, 1942. A D, LQSEE 2,288,471

WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLIGER VFiled sept. 25, 1941 Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLICER Albert D. Losee, Sumner, Nebr.

Application September 23, 1941, Serial No. 412,044

Claims.

This invention relates to a combined Wire stretcher or tightener and splicer.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which can be readily connected With adjacent ends of a pair of wires for pulling the wires together to stretch or tighten the Wires, and which may also be used to twist the wire ends about each other to form a splice and secure the ends together.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pair of telescopically arranged split sleeves with means carried by each sleeve for winding a wire thereupon, the winding means also providing a means whereby the sleeves may be rotated one relative to the other in order to splice the wire ends together.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which is simple in construction and relatively light in weight, so that it will not get out of order and can be operated by an inexpert mechanic.

To the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Figure l is a bottom plan partly broken away and in section of a combined stretcher and splicer constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, with the device in normal position,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of one end portion of the device.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I0 designates generally an outer sleeve or tubular body of substantially frusto-conical configuration, and the numeral II designates generally an inner sleeve or tubular member of substantially irustoconical configuration which is telescopically and rotatably mounted within the outer sleeve or tubular member Il). The outer member I0 has the large end I2 thereof projected outwardly of the adjacent large end of the inner member II, and the inner member II has the small end I3 thereof projected outwardly beyond the adjacent small end of the outer member l).

The outer member III is formed with a longitudinal opening I4 extending from end to end thereof, and the inner member I I is also formed with a longitudinal opening or split I5 extending from end to end, which opening or split portion I5 is adapted to be disposed in substantial registry with the opening I4 during the insertion or removal of the wires from these two members I0 and II. The outer member I0 at the large end I2 thereof is formed with a pair of opposed cutouts I6, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, and a winding means generally designated as I1 is rotatably carried by the outer member IIJ adjacent the cutout VI6 thereof. The winding means I? includes a winding drum formed of a shaft I8 which is journalled diametrically across the tubular member I0, and the shaft I8 has iixedly mounted thereon a pair of spaced apart annular iianges I9 and 20 forming a drum generally designated as ZI therebetween.

The iiange 20 and the shaft I8 have secured thereto an eye or arcuate bar 22 through which one end of a wire 23 is adapted to be threaded. One end of the shaft I8 has a bell crank 24 fixed to or formed integrally therewith which projects laterally from one side to the tubular member II). The opposite end of the shaft I8 projects through the tubular member I0 and has fixed thereto a ratchet or toothed member 25. A pivoted pawl 25 is mounted on a stationary shaft or pin 2'! which is fixed to the tubular member I8 and projects radially outwardly therefrom, so

that the pawl 26 will gravitatingly engage the teeth of the ratchet 25 and hold the drum 2| against rotation in one direction, while permitting free rotation of the drum 2| in the opposite or Winding direction. The cutouts IB are provided in order to facilitate the securing of the end oi the wire 2'3 in the eye 22.

The innersleeve or tubular member II is held against endwise movement with respect to the outer sleeve or tubular member I0 by means of a split arcuate rib or abutment 28, which may be secured as by Welding 28 or other suitable fastening means to the interior of the outer sleeve or tubular member I0 inwardly from the cutout I6. The tapering construction of the two sleeves or tubular members II) and II provides a means whereby these two members are held against endwise movement in one direction, and the rib or abutment 28 provides for holding the inner sleeve or tubular member II against endwise movement in the opposite direction with respect to the outer sleeve or tubular member I0.

A second winding means generally designated as 30 is carried by the small or projected end I3 of the inner sleeve or tubular member II, and is provided for the purpose of winding a second or oppositely extending wire 3| thereupon. The winding means 30 includes a shaft 32 which is journalled through the small end portion I3 of the inner sleeve |I, and the shaft 32 has xed to one end thereof a handle 33, the shaft 32 also has fixed thereto a diametrically extending pin 34 which projects outwardly beyond the peripheral surface of the shaft 32 and is disposed interiorly of the sleeve or inner member so as to thereby hold the shaft II against the withdrawal from the sleeve or inner member 'Ihe pin 34 constitutes a stop which limits the endwise movement of the shaft 32 so that the shaft 32 cannot be withdrawn endwise from the inner sleeve I|. When the shaft 32 is positioned as shown in Figure l this shaft constitutes a winding drum, and the end 35 thereof opposite from the handle 33 projects outwardly of the peripheral surface of the inner member I I, so that one end of the wire 3| may be twisted thereabout and wound on the projected end 35. The small end of the inner member is formed with a cutout or guide 33 as shown more clearly in Figure 4, so as to guide the Wire 3| as this wire is being wound about the outer projecting end 35 of the shaft 32. During the insertion or removal of the wire 23 from the interior of the sleeves I and the shaft 32 may be moved endwise to the dotted line position of Figure l, whereby the end 35 of the shaft 32 will be disposed in inwardly spaced relation with respect to the inner surface of the inner member Il.

In the use and operation of this device the wire 23 is adapted to be extended into the interior of the two members lil and from the small ends thereof, being extended through the two registering openings I4 and I5 and then threaded into the eye 22. The free end of the wire 23 is adapted to be extended underneath the starting convolution of the wire 23, whereupon crank 24 may be rotated for substantially one complete turn in order to firmly hold the wire 23 on the winding drum 2|. The second or opposed wire 3| is inserted into the two sleeves l0 and I I from the opposite or large ends thereof, being extended, as shown in Figure 2, beneath the winding drum 2| and then passed over the top of the shaft 32. If desired, the shaft 32 may be pulled endwise so as to provide a space between the end 35 of the shaft and the adjacent side of the sleeve II. The end of the wire 3| is then extended about the small end I3 of the inner sleeve being engaged in the guide cutout 33 and then initially wrapped about the extending end 35 of the shaft 32, which at this time is in a position projecting outwardly of the outer surface of the inner sleeve II. The handle 33 of the winding means 39 may then be rotated to take up the slack'in the two wires or, if desired, the winding means may be rotated to take up this slack. After the slack has been taken up and the two wires 23 and 3| stretched or tightened to the desired degree, the handle 33 may be grasped in one hand so as to hold the inner sleeve stationary. The crank 24 may then be used to rotate the outer sleeve I I with respect to the inner sleeve thereby twisting the ttwo wires 23 and 3| together at a point between the two winding means and 3U. The outer sleeve Il! may be given any desired number of turns to form the desired number of twists in the two wires 23 and 3|, and then the crank 24 may be held stationary so as to hold the outer sleeve I3 station- 75 ary. The handle 33 may be then used to rotate the inner sleeve with respect to the outer sleeve I0 in order to provide for additional turns or twists in the two wires 23 and 3|.

After the desired number of turns have been formed in the two wires 23 and 3|, the handle 33 may be rotated to unwind the wound portion of the wire 3| on the extended shaft portion 35. The crank 24 may then be rotated to unwind the wound portion of the wire 23 on the drum 2|. The tightened and spliced wires 23 and 3| will then be disposed in substantial alignment on the sides of the winding means and 30 confronting the openings I4 and I5, so that the stretching and splicing device may then be lifted off the spliced wires, and the projected ends of the two wires may either be additionally twisted about each other or may be cut off.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined wire stretcher and splicer comprising a pair of telescopically arranged tubular members rotatable relative to each other and each having a longitudinal opening extending from end to end thereof, a winding means carried by one of said members adjacent an end thereof, and a second winding means carried by the other sleeve at the end thereof opposite from said first winding means, each winding means constituting a means for rotating one tubular member relative to the other to thereby twist a pair of oppositely extending wires about each other between said winding means.

2. A combined wire stretcher and splicer comprising a pair of telescopically arranged tubular members rotatable relative to each other and each having a longitudinal opening extending from end to end thereof, means holding said members against endwise movement relative to each other, an end of each member projecting outwardly of the adjacent end of the other member, and winding means carried by the projecting ends of said members, said winding means also providing means whereby said members may be rotated relative to each other to thereby twist together a pair of oppositely extending wires engaging said winding means.

3. A combined vwre stretcher and splicer comprising inner and outer tubular members each formed with a longitudinal opening, said members tapering from one end to the other, the small end of said inner member projecting outwardly of the adjacent small end of said outer member, the large end of said outer member projecting outwardly of the adjacent large end of said inner member, an arcuate rib carried by the inner surface of said outer member for holding said members against endwise movement relative to each other while permitting rotary movement, a winding means rotatably carried by said outer member outwardly of the large end of said inner member, and a second winding means carried by the projecting small end of said inner member.

4. A combined wire stretcher and splicer comprising inner and outer tubular members each formed with a longitudinal opening, said members tapering from one end to the other, the small end of said inner member projecting outwardly of the adjacent small end of said outer member, the large end of said outer member projecting outwardly of the adjacent large end of said inner member, an arcuate rib carried by the inner surface of said outer member for holding said members against endwise movement relative to each other while permitting rotary movement, a winding means rotatably carried by said outer member outwardly of the large end of said inner member, means carried partly by said outer member and partly by said Winding means for selectively holding said winding means against rotation in one direction, and a second winding means carried by the projecting small end of said inner member.

5. A combined wire stretcher and splicer comprising inner and outer tubular members each formed with a longitudinal opening, said members tapering from one end to the other, the small end of said inner member projecting outwardly of the adjacent small end of said outer member, the large end of said outer member projecting outwardly of the adjacent large end of said inner member, an arcuate rib carried by the inner surface of said outer member for holding said members against endwise movement relatve to each other while permitting rotary movement, a winding means rotatably carried by said outer member outwardly of the large end of said inner member, and a second winding means carried by the projecting small end of said inner member, said second winding means including a shaft journalled through said inner member, a handle on one end of said shaft, and a stop pin carried by said shaft inwardly of the opposite end thereof, said shaft being selectively movable endwise in one direction to dispose said opposite end thereof in inwardly spaced relation with respect to the adjacent side of said inner member whereby one Wire disposed on the side of said shaft opposite from the opening in said inner member may be inserted or removed from said inner member.

ALBERT D. LOSEE. 

